User reviews

This is one of those surprising shows. You know, the kind that you see by accident and are completely amazed by. I'm not very well tapped into the hype of television (got Tivo, so I don't see much in the way of commercials), so I don't know if it was given a big promo campaign or not, but I really hope the network gives it multiple seasons. The idea, a British import, follows an idea similar to "Meet the Fockers". An average good guy who seems to have cataclysmic bad luck is marrying (and having a child with) his loving girlfriend who comes from an uptight upper middle class family with a domineering father. There are also echoes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" here, with themes of overbearing in-laws and the quirkiness of family.

While I loved "Meet the Fockers" and "Raymond", in many ways I appreciate "Worst Week" because of some subtle but gratifying different choices made by the creators. In Fockers, for example, Ben Stiller's character is almost always alone in his antics. When something goes wrong and he finds himself in the middle of a mess his girlfriend is, along with her family, a judgmental observer, leaving the viewer to feel like Focker, alone and ashamed. Of course, she forgives him by the end, but it always felt a little harsh to me as this was supposed to be his future wife and mother of his child. "Worst Week", by comparison, places the girlfriend often into the role of co-conspirator, so that even if everything goes wrong you still have the foxhole "at least we're in this together" sort of feeling. And while I'm a huge fan of "Raymond", I like that the story of Sam and Melanie (the two main protagonists) is starting much earlier. In many ways Sam and Melanie are still kids themselves, and it's kind of nice to watch as they grow into their roles of husband and wife (and mom and dad) rather than picking up the story much later in their life.

All in all, the humor is well written and acted. Especially Kyle Bornheimer, who is a real find as the hapless everyman Sam. And Erinn Hayes, who plays Melanie, does a fantastic job of portraying the formerly rebellious girl all grown up, neatly skirting the line between hip thirty-something and quasi daddy's girl who is drawn towards a conventional family life. Every show I've seen so far has consistently gotten good laughs out of me, so I think that if you enjoy a good warm family kind of humor you will really like this show.

My mom told me to watch this show so I finally gave it a chance. It was so funny! It's one of those shows where you're embarrassed for the guy like in move's like "Meet the Parents", "There's something about Marry" or "Super Star". I kept having to hide my face in fear of the consequences of some of his crazy mishaps he would get himself into. I was laughing aloud the whole time. So the only thing I can warn you about is those stomach cramps you get when you laugh too much. I wouldn't listen to anyone saying it's not funny. You should watch it and then take your own opinion. I'm not really into British Comedy but I might even have to look up the British version to see if it's as funny.

This is a rare example where the American version of a TV show is better than the British original. The original was merely frustrating in its Sisyphean contrivances whereas the American is more sweet-natured and the actors are more likable. I particularly loved the scene where a stunned budgie is mistaken for a growing erection in the hapless hero's pants while he watches his fiancée's sister breastfeeding – it's more complicated than that of course but still hilarious! The fiancée's father is played by Kurtwood Smith from Dead Poets' Society and many other good movies. Unfortunately Channel 10 in Australia gave up on the show after a few episodes because of poor ratings.

I really didn't know much about the program before I watched it. I wasn't expecting much. I just finished watching the first episode of Worst Week and I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes. Yes, I laughed until I cried. This episode was one hilarious event after another.

It was a cross between Meet the Parents and sometimes Weekend at Bernie's. The main character had the worst luck of anyone I have ever seen! I only worry that the premise might get old and become less funny episode after episode. I hope not.

One great thing about this show is no laugh track! Yay!

Don't miss this one! It's one in a million.

There are some bad critics about the serial but it's not bad at all...

I should confess that it was beyond all of my expectations...

Been a really while since I laughed and enjoyed a movie this much...

Of course scenario contains some signs of meet the parents but it's just a more advanced and prolonged version... Basically a guy meet's girls family story but contains many many original moments... which I think should be respected... but beyond this it's already a nice serial...

Not a masterpiece but I a very very good serial to spend nice time...

I'd advise it to all who haven't enjoy a comedy and haven't laugh so much since a long time like me...

Just watch it and you'll not loose anything... you'll just have fun!..

After watching the pilot episode, I found myself laughing hysterically as I saw Sam Briggs go through one mishap after another, while he's trying to make a good impression with his girlfriend, Melanie Clayton's parents.

In addition, who else could could play the role of Melanie's rigid father, Dick Clayton, better than Kurtwood Smith? He has always made me laugh back when he played "Red" Forman in That 70s Show. I can't think of anyone better who would be a better fit for the role.

Although I enjoyed this show immensely, I have one reservation, which is, will I still enjoy it six months from now, or will I want to watch something else? It's funny as I mentioned watching Sam go through one mishap after another and watching things go from bad to worse, but will the one thing that makes this show successful be it's downfall? It may come to a point, where it may not be funny anymore, just like Kenny McCormick on South Park when he died in every episode. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker once found it funny, but after awhile it was no longer funny to them, trying to find new ways to kill Kenny, so they killed him off for good. This is what I fear what will happen to the show as things start becoming predicable and unfunny. Will the show find the same fate as Kenny? Only time will tell.

Sorry folks, but this is, once again, a very bad attempt by Americans to remake brilliant comedies from other countries, and failing miserably. They have done this with a number of shows and it's getting irritating. While this isn't unfunny, the jokes aren't delivered well, with the exception of the father who is simply brilliant at delivering snappy laughs, and it seems to have been re-written for an American specific audience. If you haven't seen or heard of the original series, then you might enjoy this mildly, but otherwise I would recommend getting your hands on the British make. This is a mediocre comedy, with rehashed jokes, taken down a notch in class for a simpler audience. The sad thing is, this is the only version the mainstream audiences of Australia will see, like they did with The Office, Life on Mars and Kath & Kim.

Poor,beleaguered SAm Briggs(Kyle Bornheimer,who seems to have been born with a 'I'm screwed!'face)is about to marry the lovely Melanie(Erinn HAyes),but has the dangerous task of trying to impress her parents(KUrtwood Smith and NAncy Lenehan,both great!)and seems to wear bad luck around his neck. EAch element of their impending nuptials becomes fraught with peril,all laying out traps for our intrepid hero.

THis comedy has worked so far(At this writing,about twelve episodes deep). THe timing and reactions of all involved work well enough(Or better yet,they stay out of the way of the natural humor to develop)that this show has a true charm and appeal to it. I'm probably mincing details here,but I still cannot help but feel like naming a show "Worst Week" suggests that this show's running plot is a singular or finite problem. Since the mere nature of a TV series is,usually,to continue indefinitely,the naming of a show set around a singular worst week seems to present a bit of a problem. Or maybe that's just me.

UNless there's been a revelation as to the time constraints of this show in a previous episode(or episodes)that I've not been cognizant of,I cannot help but feel like a show with the kind of genuinely funny quality and rich potential,the producers might want to change the title. Some suggestions: "Worst Weeks"? "Another BAd Week"? "ONe Bad DAy After Another"?

Again,just suggestions. Good show,though!

So during my stay at Las Vegas i was offered a chance to see a test screening of a new CBS show. At first i was very excited because i would be able to see a new show before it aired. My excitement left me soon after the first couple of minutes.

This show is complete trash and there is no doubt in my mind that it will flop after it's first week. How this trash even gets a chance to go on T.V i will never know. The acting is horrible the situations are very predictable and in some situations so unrealistic it hurts.

But the main thing that gets me is it is a COMPLETE COPY OF MEET THE PARENTS! Lets see a nervous guy who is about to get married to his girlfriend, but always seems to be making mistakes in front of the parents. All the situations are way to similar to meet the parents.

I urge you to watch the episode just to see what a pile it really is.

For a comedy, I usually don't have to high requirements, one being of course that it should be funny. Well, it isn't.

One major thing with comedy is timing and chemistry. Recently, the people behind forgetting Sara Marshall, knocked up,etc have surprised me by doing rather simple story's that still feels fresh even though there isn't really anything new about them, yet it still works.

This show is quite the opposite. Some rather good ideas is completely lost due to poor timing and more or less every single joke being obvious a long time before occurring. I really though it would be fun after reading about it. For me, it really isn't. Actually one of the most disappointing show's I've seen in a long time.

Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes) is seven weeks pregnant and she's announcing her engagement to Sam Briggs (Kyle Bornheimer) at the family gathering. In the pilot, he meets his future in-laws Angela (Nancy Lenehan) and judge Dick Clayton (Kurtwood Smith) in a diaper. He pees into the food and Dick slips on his pee. He mistakenly assumes that Dick is dead and tells the family with the distressing false bad news. The show expands with her sister Sarah (Jessica St. Clair) and her husband Chad (Hayes MacArthur), brother David (RonReaco Lee) and heart-broken Chloe (Brooke Nevin). Sam's friend Adam (Nick Kroll) comes to try to fix the painting of Dick that Sam ruined and starts hooking up with Chloe.

Through incompetence, bad luck and nervousness, Sam is the butt of all of the jokes in the show. It is very forced even more so than the usual sitcom. Every week has Sam doing something stupid. It gets a bit repetitive. Kyle Bornheimer is an OK comedic actor although his usual nervous act does get tired. It helps a lot whenever Erinn Hayes joins him in the stupidity. She needs to be more than the girlfriend trying to placate her parents and encourage her boyfriend. She needs to be as big of an idiot as Sam is.